Vehicle-frame construction



E. H. BELDEN VEHICLE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 21, 1 320 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR. EdWard/ZEe/defl A TTOR Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,147

E. H. BELDEN VEHICLE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed May 21, '1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm N Edward/i Be/oen BY v v I 3 frmmd 3 PatentedNov 16,1926.

EDWARD n. BnLnEn, or TOLEDO, onIo, ASSlGNOR TO Tran.wnnrsz's-ovn'nnnnn COM- Y l may, or'ronnno, 01-110,;A oonroRAa'Ion'oF OHIO.

irnri I ena-Fan: r suoonsrrtnorro xi.

.niipuandn filed M81121, s al N ,T383,2e1.,

v The present 7 invention relates to vehicle frames and has for itsobject toprovide an improved" frame construction for automo "biles or other vehicles having permanently connected side frame niembers wlth remov- 7 able tie bars or connectlonsad acent its ends which may befdetache Without dismantling the frame "or"; disconnecting the permanently attached transverset e or brace 10 members;

Another obj vide, at; the front end of the frame' and n front of the radiator, a removable t1e mem her which will afiord'a certain, amount of 5 protection 'to the. radiatorjand which may be quicklyremoved and replaced when bent without disturbing or. dismantling the remaining parts of theiramei Another. object of the invention is to, loreso vide at therear of theframe aremovable' tieniember adapted tosupport a wheeler the carrier of any preferredconstructlon which may be removed with the t1e member asaunit. v

Still another object ofthe invention is to,

provide a cross bar inicombination with a removable tie member for support ng a wheel 'or'tire carrier between the'endso'f the side iram'e members of the fvehicle; thecarrier being det'achably connected withsaid cross bar'and adapted to swingupon said carrier which, together with thecarr er, may

be removed from the side rame members as aunit,

Another objectofthe invention is to proo vide an improved spring shaeklebracket at the ends of the side frame members whlch will serve both asa support for theouter ends of the'springs'and as'a connection for ajremovable transverse tie to permit the sa'ne to be removed laterally from between the side frame ii i eiiibers'of-the vehicle.

Another object o l the inventiongis to provide at the ends of the side frame members of the vehicle. brackets, for supportinga transversejremovable tie member, the construction beingsuch asto relieve the strain upon" the bolts connecting the tie'member v with the bracketswhen the frame is subjected to twisting strains from time to time. lVith these and other objects in view, the

ec f fl invention is to pro- ,ment of the invention isii'llustrated in invention comprises certainlnovjel features of construction and arrangement or parts which'will be hereinafter more fully pointed out "and claimed, it being understood that accompanying drawings in which:

embodying the invention. 1

Figure Il'is a sectional elevation taken on line IIII'01": Figure 1.1

the

a Figure i is alplan VlQW if a vehicle frame Figure in is a' detailed view can ofthe springshackle brackets shown at the left of Figure'II. v

I F igure. IV' is an enlarged {fragmentary sectional elevation taken'on line IV'IV of Figure I.

Figurev isa detailed section taken on line VV"of Figure IV; t

Figure VI is a top'plan view of the bracket shown in Figure IV with the side frame" channel shown in section.

igHrjVII is a sectional el ti taken vnfvn of Figure i; c

Like ireference characters throughout the several views of the drawings indicate corresponding parts. I v

The structure illustrated in the drawings comprises the'usual side :frame channels 10 of the vehicle frame,- which may be perma nently connected by any number 01": suitable transverse brace members '11. as shown in Figures} and II. The side'frame channels have their flanges turned inwardly and at their ends are adapted to receive the front andrear spring shackle brackets 12 and 13 i respectively with which'the outer ends of usual 'manner. Spring 15"is connected to shackle bracket 13} by means of the links 16 and the boltsl'LxThe front shackle the springs I 14; andlfi are connected in the spare wheels, it will be understoodthat a tire carrier may be readily substituted there for if desired, Thewheelcarrier shown in Figure I is detachably connected with the brace member 23, preferably means of the bracket 24, but may be connected therewith by any other suitable means. The transverse tie member 19 is preferably of tubular construction, and at its ends is provided with the c'astnienibers 25 having the laterally projecting feet 26 provided with ribs or tongues 27 on their outer faces which are disposed within grooves or recesses formed in the spring shackle brackets 13 in a manner similar to that shown in Figure V, showing the front end construction. The' castings 25 are connected with the tube 19, preferably by spotwelding, but may be con nected thereto by'any other suitable means and are secured to the shackle brackets by means of bolts 28 which pass through the shackle brackets and side channels as indicated in Figures '1 and VII. A bolt 29-is also extended through the web of the channel 10 and through the bracket'13 and into the casting 25 in threaded engagement therewith. Removal of the transverse tie member 19 may be effected by unscrewing and removing the bolts 28 and 29 and then pushing the tie member forwardly until the tongues or ribs 27 are moved out of the grooves in the brackets 13, it being understood of course that the wheel carrying member 20 will first i be disconnected from the b'race bar 23 to permit the sliding forwardly ofthe tie member 19. The tie member, includin the castings on the ends thereof, may then be freely moved laterally from between the side channels 10 as the distance between the flanges of the channels is greater than theoverall length of the tie member. The shackles 13 are preferably secured to the channels 10 by means of the rivets 30, as indicated in Figure VII. The shackles 12 at the front end of the frame are similar in construction to those at the rear thereof, the principal difference being in the position of therbolts connecting the removable tie'member with the brackets. The tie member at the front of the frame comprises the tube 18 upon the ends of which are welded or otherwisesecured, the castings'31 having the laterally projecting lugs 32 which are connected with 5 the shacklebracket 12 and side frame chanextending. end

nels by means of the bolts 33 as indicated in Figure VI. The castings 31 are provided with tongues or ribs 3 1 projecting into grooves 35 formed in the boss-like pro ections 36 on the inner face of the wall 37 of the bracket which is spaced from the web of the channel 10 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure VI. The shackle brackets '12 are also provided with projections38 which are seated upon the inner faces of the webs ofthe channels and through which extend the bolts 33 serving to connect the tie member with the side channels and with the brackets. The tie member 18 is readily removed from the frame by removing the bolts 33 and then sliding it rearwardly until the tongues thereon move out of the grooves in the shackle brackets, The overall length of a removable tie member 18 including the end members 31 ispreferably slightly less than the dis- P1 tance between the flanges of the side frame channels 10 in order to permit the tie memher to be removed laterally from the channels. vThe (shackle brackets 12 are permanently connected with the side frame cha' nels by means of the in Figures IV and VI.

As stated before the tie member 18 serves to protect the, front of the" automobile, parrivets 39 as shown ticularlythe radiator and also serves to pre'- ventany twisting or distortion of the ends of the side frame channels'by reason of the tongue and roove-or key and slot arrangelflehtfljtween'the ends of the tie and the shackle brackets. bolts are relieved, of all twisting strains set up in the frame from time to time, the same being true with respect to the rear tie member 19 carrying-the wheel support 20.

While Ihaved'escri'bed my inventionmore or less in detail, it will be understood that By this construction the I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction and arragement of parts shown, as it will be apparent that various mod fications fmay'be made in the detail construction and, manner of assembling the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I claim as, new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

.1. A vehicle frame structure comprising side frame members, spring brackets mounted uponsa'id frame members, a transverse tie interposed between said brackets having at each end a laterally extending portion, said brackets andlaterally extending portion being provided with complementary ribs and grooves running lengthwise of said laterally extend'lng'end port ons and transversely of said tie, whereby .the tie is made removable,

and means projecting through said laterally v 7 portions for securing the tie to said bracket 1 2. In a vehicle frame structure, a pair of side frame members rigidly secured together intermediate their ends, spring shackle With the opposed faces off said. brackets;

brackets'at corresponding. ends of said memwhereby to permit removal ofthe tie-rod hers, a tie-rod for said frame membershav- Without removal of the brackets, and bolts 10 ing a terminal portion at each end thereof passing 'through said ear for securing said, i v 5 provided With a laterally extending ear, the tie-Tod Said br 7 end faces of said terminal portions being 111 st y WheTeOfJ a y g a adapted to slide into and out of engagement EDWARD H. BELDEN. 

